Programmatic control of gaming devices

Abstract

An event controller is provided for programmatic control of gaming devices. The event controller includes operating modes for adjusting game parameters, distributing audio and video, adjusting casino floor lighting, and performing auxiliary control functions. A gaming devices management system communicates control commands to the gaming devices. The control commands can adjust, for example, the audio volume of the gaming device. A rules database can be configured to provide programmable event processing. The rules database includes expressions that conditionally activate a particular event. The event controller can control the gaming devices in response to signals from a life safety system, for example, to reduce the audio volume of the gaming devices in the event of an emergency.

1 . A casino emergency management system for controlling a plurality of networked gaming devices, the system comprising: 
 a life safety system including an alarm output for generating an alarm signal in response to a life safety event; and    an event controller including an input module communicatively coupled to receive the alarm signal, and for generating and transmitting an interrupt signal to the plurality of networked gaming devices, wherein each of the plurality of networked gaming devices includes an audio processing unit coupled to a control module, the control module for receiving the interrupt signal from the network and for interrupting the audio processing unit responsive to the interrupt signal.    
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the interrupt signal comprises one of an attenuation signal or a system halt signal.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a wireless interface for coupling the event controller and the alarm output of the life safety system.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising an audio system coupled to the event controller, to receive an audio signal from the event controller and output the audio signal in a gaming facility containing the plurality of gaming devices.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the event controller further comprises a rule base for storing a plurality of rules, each rule defining an event condition and an event output, the event controller activating the event output for a rule on detection of the event condition.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the event controller further comprises a scheduling module for storing a time based schedule of events, wherein in response to the time of a scheduled event, the event controller generates an event message for controlling a plurality of gaming devices.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an environmental sensor for sensing a condition of a gaming facility containing the plurality of gaming devices, and coupled to the event controller for providing the sensed condition to the input module of the event controller, the event controller configured to determine whether to activate an event in response to the sensed condition.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a gaming devices management system coupled to the plurality of gaming devices to receive gaming data therefrom and provide control information thereto, the gaming devices management system further coupled to the input module of the event controlling to provide gaming data to the event controller, and to receive an event message from the event controller to control a plurality of gaming devices.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the gaming devices are configured into a plurality of zones, and the event message instructs the gaming devices management system to control the operation of the gaming devices in at least one zone in response to an event determined by the event controller.  
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising in each zone, an environmental sensor for sensing a condition in the zone, and coupled to the event controller for providing the sensed condition to the input module of the event controller, the event controller configured to send an event message to the gaming devices management system in response to the sensed condition in the zone.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein at least one zone is defined by a logical grouping of gaming devices.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the event message from the event controller signals the gaming devices management system to adjust gaming parameters of at least one gaming device.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the event message from the event controller signals the gaming devices management system to adjust at least one of an audio output or a video output of each of a plurality of gaming devices.  
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the event message from the event controller signals the gaming devices management system to adjust at least one of an audio output or a video output of each of a plurality of gaming devices in response to a predetermined percentage of utilization of the plurality of gaming devices.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the event message from the event controller signals the gaming devices management system to adjust a denomination of at least one gaming device.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the event message from the event controller signals the gaming devices management system to adjust a pay table of at least one gaming device.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the event message from the event controller signals the gaming devices management system to adjust a hold percentage of at least one gaming device.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the event message from the event controller signals the gaming devices management system to adjust a game selection of at least one gaming device.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the gaming data received from the gaming devices management system comprises data identifying a patron present at a gaming device, and the event message from the event controller signals the gaming devices management system to transmit at least one of an audio message signal or a video message signal to the gaming device that the patron is present, the message signal output by the gaming device.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the gaming data received from the gaming devices management system comprises data identifying a winning event at a gaming device, and the event message from the event controller signals an audio system to output an audio message in proximity to the gaming device announcing the winning event.  
   
   
       21 - 64 . (canceled)